Dehradun, March 19: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirat Singh Rawat, whose remark on women wearing ripped jeans created a controversy, stood by his statement when asked to clarify on Thursday. Speaking to reporters, Tirath Singh Rawat said he does not have a problem with women wearing jeans. However, he maintained his objection to women wearing ripped jeans. 'Ripped Jeans' Remark: Congress Demands Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat's Apology or Resignation.

"I don't mind jeans but even today, I object to ripped jeans," Rawat was quoted by India Today as saying. The Chief Minister is facing flak for criticising women for wearing ripped jeans. Speaking at a workshop for Protection of Child Rights in Dehradun, he described the attire of a woman, who once sat next to him on a flight.

Rawat said the woman was wearing boots, jeans ripped at the knees and several bangles in her hands with two children travelling with her. "She runs an NGO, goes out in the society and has two children, but she wears jeans ripped at the knees. What values will she impart?" he asked. This controversial remark didn't go down well on social media and the hashtag #RippedJeansTwitter started trending on Twitter.

Several Bollywood celebrities such as Koena Mitra,Gul Panag, Sona Mohapatra, Shruti Seth and Amitabh Bachchan's granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda also reacted to the remark , voicing protest. The Congress slammed Rawat for his "anti-women" mindset and said he should either apologise to the women of the country or resign.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also took a dig at the BJP over Rawat's remarks. Posting photographs on Twitter of the prime minister, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat wearing the organisation's traditional khaki shorts, she said: "Oh my God!!! Their knees are showing."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2021 12:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).